New Moon in Taurus
Taurus holds a strong earth energy. Approaching the season of Beltaine in the northern hemisphere, the season of rich fertility and abundant blossom, there’s a palpable sense of the Earth’s energy rising up to flower at the surface. Apple blossom is blooming pink and sweet smelling, while blackthorn blossoms white in hedgerows, and hawthorn will be coming out in the next few weeks. You’ll notice catkins on hazels and pussy willows. If you’re able to get out and walk close to nature, now is a good time to witness the awakening of the land.
Does it feel more potent to you?
Without all the noise and distraction of traffic and transport and movement, can you sense a deepening in your connection with the awakening earth? Be present with this as a witness. Sense what’s arising in you. Breathe deep and connect with what is.
The energetic focus of this new moon in Taurus is on the throat and the areas of the neck, jaw, and ears. In Sanskrit this area is known as the vishuddha chakra, its colour is blue and it’s related to speaking and listening. How are you communicating in these times, and how well? Are you speaking your truth? Or has it become easy to shut down during lockdown; silencing yourself for fear of speaking out under pressure?
That same energetic momentum that’s rising in the earth is also rising within you. The need to connect with your deepest truth, drawing it up from your roots and allowing it to blossom as the flower of your speech. How you connect with your truth will determine whether it blossoms as a lotus or a snapdragon.
Nurturing your throat chakra at this time is advisable, so wrap a scarf around your neck if you’re walking out in the breeze. It’s a time when we can be more susceptible to colds – or viruses such as Covid 19 – so keep yourself protected. Blue or turquoise is a healing colour to wear around the throat and can help to balance your vishuddha chakra.
How Luna Rhythms Yoga can support you during this Taurus New Moon:
At Luna Rhythms, our unique system of yoga integrated with the lunar cycles and solar seasons teaches techniques from the ancient yogic practices of asana, pranayama, mudra, bandha and mantra in alignment with the energies of the day, season and cycle. This New Moon in Taurus is the perfect time to reach into the earth to speak your deepest truth.
Working with the throat chakra, and with the intention of speaking your truth, we will be practising some pranayama breath work combined with sound and mantra to release any tension or tightness around your throat chakra and neck.
From a comfortable seated position, connect in with your ruby red grounding cord growing down from just below your navel to the centre of the earth. Start by moving in a gentle, mindful figure of eight motion with your neck and head. This can be practiced by anyone, anywhere – without a mat or a yoga studio – sitting in front of the laptop or at the kitchen table. Listen to your body as you move: pay attention, giving your loving awareness to every sensation, and move slowly.
Return to centre, return to stillness. On an inhalation, draw energy up from the earth, through your roots, and up your spine to your throat chakra. Exhaling, make a humming sound through closed lips and feel the sensation and vibration of the sound around your mouth and throat. This is Brahmari, the buzzing bee breath. You may like to close or cover your eyes while practising. This breath is energising for your throat chakra and calming for your nervous system. It brings your focus within, so it is great for re-centring scattered energy, but can be too internalising if you are experiencing intense introspection. Be aware of this and adjust your practice accordingly.
Similar sound practices focused on the throat chakra include repetition of the mantra HAM and the mantra Ong. Notice that in this practice, the usual syllable Om is pronounced ONG. This sound is created by placing the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth and directs the energy up towards your crown. You may notice an expanded sensation around your nose, jaw and sinuses.
Without all the usual distractions of life, lockdown gives you an invitation to be present with your deeper truth. But this can be painful, especially if you have kept yourself busy for so long: avoiding the discomfort of being in your body; escaping from what arises. How is it feeling to acknowledge that discomfort? Where, in your body, are you experiencing this?
Sarvangasana, the Shoulder Stand, translates to ‘full-body posture’ and is beneficial for calming the nervous system, reducing anxiety and increasing blood circulation – it literally benefits your whole body and can be an excellent tonic for coping with the stress of living in lockdown. Shoulder stand also specifically brings balance to the thyroid gland, which is a master gland for regulating hormone production in the other glands, again benefitting your whole endocrine system. Energetically, Sarvangasana rebalances your vishuddha chakra – bringing the focus to speech and communication. It’s a great posture for connecting in with the deeper truth of your whole body and increasing your capacity to express your truth in speech.
Only practice Sarvangasana if you already have a regular yoga practice and are familiar with this pose. You can modify the pose by placing your legs up the wall or using a block or bolster to support your buttocks. Gently draw your chin towards your chest to maintain alignment in your neck.
If you are new to yoga, please connect with me and watch some of my videos before attempting your own practice. These Luna Rhythms Yoga practices are designed to support those who already have a regular yoga practice and are familiar with the techniques and contra-indications. Always listen to your own body and never push or stretch beyond your capacity. Yoga invites you into a greater connection with your body, cultivating greater self-awareness and self-responsibility.
This new moon in Taurus invites you into an increasing capacity to speak your truth. This can be uncomfortable at the best of times and could bring particularly strong discomfort under lockdown conditions if you have been avoiding your truth in close relationships lately. These practices can support you to be present with that discomfort and to gently reconnect with your deepest truth. It may be painful, but now is a golden opportunity to work with this – what else have you to do?
Blessings,
Diana
To find out more about these practices and how you can get involved check out our Classes, Retreats and the Luna Rhythms Yoga Foundation Course. Join us!
